Lasik Surgery

Why I Chose Lasik Surgery

Lasik surgery can be a very scary thing.  The thought of something going wrong and possibly losing my eye sight was a deep conversation I had with myself.  But this subject wasn't new to me.  I've considered lasik surgery for a very long time. 

I've had poor vision all my life.  Barely being able to see foot ahead of me, I was the kid in school that could never see the chalkboard; got on the wrong bus and walked into the wrong classroom (poor  little me).  Reflecting back, I wonder how I even managed to get by on a daily basis.  I honestly can't remember.  Maybe it's because all I could see was blurry colors.  YES! That bad!  I believe around eight years old is when I finally got my first pair of glasses.  So over 20 years I've been dealing with glasses and contacts.  Understand why the surgery was in mind for so long?

(Closest example of my vision) 

Lasik Options

With interest, I spoke to my Optometrists about lasik.  He stated I should definitely check into it considering I spend a fortune having to special order glasses and contacts (due to my strong prescription).  He recommended a great local surgeon, and off I went to educate myself from start to finish.  Spending countless of hours researching others personal experience, BBB reviews, law suits, business reviews and watching Youtube videos. 

Once I gathered all the information, I booked my first appointment.  In my opinion, the most important part of it all is how you feel during your visit at the office.  Sounds stupid I know, but seriously, I observed my surroundings.

• Is reception area inviting and welcoming? 
• Are the staff friendly?  
• Was the doctor detailed and educational?  
• Was the nurse resourceful?  
• Did I feel comfortable about the whole visit? 

If not, then always follow your gut feeling and move on to another doctor (I have a reason for this - but that can be on another day - another blog).   

My doctor informed me of three different corrective eye surgeries they offered: 

1) Lasik (thin hinged flap)

2) PRK (removing of the tissue)

3) ICL (implantable lenses). 

I'm not going to get into detail about each surgery, but I highly recommend doing your own research for further details.  

I chose Lasik eye surgery because of the fast recovery.  I am a very busy mom of three children and I needed something quick and simple with the least amount of down time.  However, something to keep in mind, you have to be a good candidate to have lasik. What I mean by this, your eyes need to be evaluated by your doctor, not only to ensure no diseases but also fitting the required measurements. 

On to My Personal Experience

Surgery Day
Total time from start to finish (eye measurements, surgery prep, surgery), was about an hour and a half to two hours max.  They did not put me to sleep, but instead, gave me numbing eye drops.  I did still felt everything.  It wasn't a painful feeling, more like pressure (a little scary and weird).  My doctor talking his way through the operation helped ease the process.  I knew what he was doing and how much longer I had till it was over. 

After Surgery 
The ride home was horrible.  I'm not sure if it was the bright sun or the bumpy rode, either way, it was very painful. They do provide you with special sunglasses but it wasn't enough for me. I would have like a thick blanket or towel to cover my head for total darkness.

Comfort of my own home, I think not!
Another tip to consider, they did not provide me any pain medication. My entire head was pounding and my eyes felt like they where on fire!  More like hot sand thrown in my eyes.  The doctor will tell you to go home and sleep.  I would like to add to that.  MAKE SURE ONLY YOUR CARE TAKER IS HOME WITH YOU.  If you have children, arrange for them to stay with someone overnight.  Unfortunately, I had several people at the house that wanted "help care" for me and the children, but it just ended up being a ruckus.  Between loud screaming, yelling, a t.v. in the background and hearing dishes clanking together, it made it worst.  Every little sound is amplified.  All I wanted was complete silence and sleep. 

Day After
I can see!  This was an emotional day for me.  I was absolutely shocked that in less than 24 hours I could really see.  I honestly thought my vision was going to be blurry for a few days before clearing up.  But no, looking at everything as if I had my contacts or glasses on. It wasn't crystal clear, I still had some cloudiness and remain sensitive, but being able to see without any assistance was a feeling like no other.  

As the days go on
No more pain and vision clears up.  Continue to keep resting and try not to stress!  We don't realize how much pressure we put our bodies on a daily basis.  The more pressure the less healing time.  I noticed when I'm up doing chores for a long period of time, I will get a headache. So take it easy and work little by little.  It takes about 2-3 months for all the nerves to fully connect and heal properly (for lasik surgery).

Overall, it was worth every penny with no regrets.  If you're a person that has been dealing with contacts or glasses for a long time or currently has horrible vision, I total recommend considering lasik surgery.  There is so much more that happens in between the whole process.  If I listed every little detail, I would be writing forever.